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8/05/2010

Sofa Questions Answered

I've been receiving lots of sofa comments and questions lately. Some about the ones in our house and others asking for advice on choosing the right sofa. Today, I'll start by providing information on our sofas. For each one, I'll give some background on why it was chosen and provide a little critique on its performance. Tomorrow, I'll write about my sofa selection strategy and will share an assortment of options from favorite sources. Enough chatter for now...let's get started with the Knight couch tour!

I'll start in the formal living room, where one sofa is made by Pearson and the other was purchased from Macy's.

The Pearson sofa was purchased years ago by my husband. It was originally covered in a Ralph Lauren herringbone fabric to mesh with the masculine style going on in his bachelor pad. It was later used in our old house here in Dallas as you can see here:

Totally sick of the overall look, I had Addison Upholstery recover it in an oyster-colored linen, add nailhead trim, and make bolster pillows when we moved. They did a great job and earned my patronage from here on out! Besides producing quality work, they pick-up and deliver for free, offer a discount on fabrics, and complete projects quickly.

Pretty dramatic transformation, huh?

When my husband originally ordered the sofa, he was hell-bent on choosing a style that wouldn't loose its shape since his previous couch had gotten lumpy. So he picked one without back cushions and chose ultra firm seat cushions. While firm cushions certainly hold up well, they are not comfortable! Same goes with the tight back...it looks sharp, but comfort is sacrificed. So, when deciding where to place the sofa in our new house, using it in the den was not an option and it got relegated to the formal living room where lounging doesn't often occur.

The other sofa in the room was purchased at Macy's and was chosen because the price was so low and it fit the bill in terms of size and style. I knew that it wouldn't get a ton of use, so quality wasn't a concern and I was willing to try it out since it was such a good deal (we got it on sale for about $600).

As it turns out, there was a huge screw-up in the ordering process of our sectional for the den and the specs got submitted to the manufacturer 6 weeks after I finalized them. It was very frustrating and we had to use the Macy's sofa in our den from August to October because of the delay. So, my husband and I, along with four dogs (our 3 + 1 foster) gave the cheapo, quality-is-not-a-concern couch a run for its money. I'm happy to report that it is comfortable and withstood our abuse. Amazingly, the microfiber velvet was super easy to keep clean. I will say that the buttonless tufting annoys me a bit and since the cushions don't have a welt, they look a little sloppy. Despite those minor grievances, I'm happy with it for now!

On to the den. I'm usually not a fan of sectionals, but we wanted to be able to lay around and watch tv in this room and sectionals are ideal for that purpose. They also provide a ton of seating, which is nice when we have people over. The sectional here is by Sherrill. Tales of Sherrill's high quality came from multiple sources, a factor which was the tipping point in buying their product over this other (cheaper) option. Knowing how much time would be spent in the den and the wear and tear that the sofa would need to hold up to, I did not want the quality of construction to be lacking in any way.

I love the color, texture, and durability of the fabric, which is a linen blend. In Sherrill lingo, it's Grade 8 Affirmed Beige 4. Here's a close-up...

I requested that nailhead trim be added around the base and upgraded to the "Comfort Down" cushions, which were supposed to be tufted, but that request obviously wasn't executed. I considered having the alteration done locally and decided against it. After having it for a while, I think the tufting would actually make it a little less comfy.

What a great post! Thank you for taking the time to review some of the factors that go into the decision making process, and how it worked out. One question - how about the size of the couch? How did you factor that into your equation?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this post! I've checked this blog a couple of times and didn't realize you are in my area. I'm so happy to have a recommendation for and upholsterer. All the info. about the different brands is great, too.

What's typical of costs for recovering a sofa? I have a sofa that has good bones about the same size and shape as yours. The fabric is pretty worn out after 5 kids and we are ready for something new. But now I am thinking maybe recovering is the way to go that's if the costs don't exceed purchasing a new one.

So weird that I saw your Homegoods post this morning from another blog....and somehow I found my way here this afternoon from 6th Street design School!!! It never ceases to amaze me how I stumble across so many cool sites! Love both rooms by the way!Sherry

I came across your blog and pictures on Pinterest. We are looking for a grey color to paint our house and loved this one. Your style and ours is very similar. Could you please let me know what color you chose for your walls in the living room? Thank you very much. You've done a wonderful job of decorating your spaces. Thank you for sharing.